The year is 1981 and Kawasaki are using the Z1000J as the powerplant for their endurance racing entry. Rolling on 18-inch wheels and using a double-sided swingarm with a rear shock on just one side of the swingarm, the French Performance Racing team

Carrying on from last time, I had repaired the dent in the tank and was doing the paint preparation work. On the side-panels, there was a colour difference where the old decals had been and I used these dimensions to get my new decals in the correct

WITH MORE THAN 30 PAGES OF PRACTICAL ADVICE! SUZUKI RGV250 VJ21: Road test by Andy Bolas SUPER STAFFORD: Why you should attend the BEST bike show of the year! YAMAHA GTS1000A: Buyer’s Guide GOING OUT IN STYLE: Motorcycle Funerals SHOW US YER SHED: WI

I suppose first I should set the scene… Growing up (if I ever did) I spent years on two-strokes and then my old Yamaha XS850 covered the most miles I had ever done on a bike: 60k in nine months being a long-distance despatch courier. But no touring…

Having got rid of the stinky old fuel from the tank I needed to clean the tank out and try to restore the tap. This is the old type with a fuel filter bowl integrated into it, and it all comes apart for servicing and cleaning, so that shouldn’t be a

Kev Raymond keeps his eye on the choppy waters of the classic world to see if any projects, donors and bargains are out there worthy of being dragged out of the surf for some mouth-to-mouth… Asking: £650 On the face of it, this 1980s GPz (small zed a

This month’s offering might very well look a little odd and quirky to fans of modern Japanese classics with its shrouded forks, chrome tank panels and rubber knee pads. If your reference points are the likes of Suzuki’s X7, Yamaha’s 350LC or Honda’s

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Triumph UK kindly offered me a few days on the latest (well, 2023) Rocket 3, which was nice. Previously the most modern versions I’d ridden had been a Roadster in 2010 and a Touring in 2012. Since the 2019 relaunch the Rocket 3 range has been the R m

Halvarssons’ Racken is, quite simply, the best biking jacket I have ever owned – period. It’s waterproof even though it’s leather; has a clever TFL COOL system that reduces heat levels inside during hot weathe; and comes with an integral lining that’

Earlier this year the workshop and garage were plagued with incontinence issues and, no, it wasn’t me with the leakage issues. A combination of modern fuel and old parts conspired to moisten bikes, engines and owner… it was the beginning of ‘Wet Week

Publisher: Tim Hartley [email protected] Publishing Director: Dan Savage [email protected] Designer: Michael Baumber Production Editor: Mike Cowton Group Advertising Manager: Sue Keily Advertising: Owen Hibbert [email protected] Tel: 01

Pierfrancesco ‘Frankie’ Chili – fans’ favourite and heart-on-his-sleeve racer, his Latin good looks also ensured he had a big female following. He enjoyed a long career: winning the European 125cc series in 1985, before racing in 250cc and 500cc gran

Send us your nostalgic snaps of you back in the day with your steed! Either send to me at [email protected] or via our vibrant Facebook page. C’mon, we’ll send you a T-shirt if you are our first pick! Ian Simpson says: “I thought you’d like to

There cannot be many classic motorcycle fans who haven’t encountered one of Yamaha’s seminal DT175s or its precursor the CT1/2/3 form range. Whether you rode one or knew someone who owned one, most are more than aware of the bike. Back in the day the

It’s Sunday afternoon, I’ve got my feet up on the sofa doing not much at all. WhatsApp pings to tell me Scott Redmond, once of this parish and bike-breaking ultra-preneur, has sent me a message. It’s a list of prices for FZR1000 EXUP race parts. Noth

Last time I made a new hydraulic clutch cylinder for my custom 1976 Z900 A4 – what now? Well, this month I have already dragged the lump out of the frame, which I won’t go into as I have more than covered that in the recent restoration of the standar

Bikers! Be mindful that the final Bristol Bike Night of the season is on Friday, September 6. Hosted by Fowlers Motorcycles, this free, monthly event is the perfect way to kick off your weekend surrounded by fellow riders. In addition to the regular

Hammers frequently are seen as the preserve of the blacksmith, but used correctly they are a most valuable and essential tool for the engineer and mechanic. As with all tools, misuse will cause serious problems and finesse is very much the watchword

CMM recently headed to the Classic Racing Motorcycle Club’s big event and had a seriously good time. Not only was the two-day event part of the excellent CRMC race series with a bumper race card full of some super-saucy bikes, but also there was a bi

Q: Please could you tell me what the ignition timing should be on my 1974 Suzuki TC185, in mm BTDC. Roy Hook A: I did think that this would be A:a pretty simple one to answer but I do see why you asked the question now! I don’t have the manual for th

When you’ve been around the block a bit in the biking world, there are not many machines out there that can intimidate, but there are still a few. Some motorcycles may be so expensive you just worry even throwing a leg over them for fear of scratchin

This CB77 has been lovingly restored and is in absolute pristine condition: the engine has been completely rebuilt by professional engineers Partsmade. The hard-faced camshafts were supplied by Megacycle Cams of San Rafael, California. These cams imp

The story so far: I buy an old Triumph in bits. I commit myself to recreating ‘The Spotted Bike’ from about 50 years ago, what could possibly go wrong? After waging war with parts that didn’t fit, stuff that didn’t exist any longer and occasionally,

IN ASSOCIATION WITH OLD BIKE MART: WWW.OLDBIKEMART.CO.UK 21 SEPTEMBER CLASSIC MOTORCYCLES MECHANICS OUT 25 Sunbeam Motorcycle Club’s Bolney Summer Run (pre-1940) The Motorcycle Workshop, London Road, Bolney, West Sussex RH17 5PY. Web: sunbeam-mcc.co.

The 175 CT-1 first appeared in 1969 and was a simple reworking of the existing AT-1 125 of the same year and built with the minimum of 175 specific components. A 10mm overbore delivered 3.5 more horses at 15bhp. Sold into the 1971 model year, the bik

Want the next issue of CMM? Of course you do! Then it’s simple. Subscribing is best but, failing that, why not pre-order? Simply scan the fuzzy circular thing with your smartphone (c’mon, we’ve all got one) and off you pop! Alternatively, if you like

We got to the stage of putting on the cylinder barrel last time, but first let me show you a couple of photos which might clarify some points. Photo 1 shows the cylinder base gasket and you can see that there is a special square-section O-ring fitted

Oooh er, missus, and titter ye not (and apologies to the late, great Frankie Howerd) but I was thinking this very thing recently. Because, this month I’ve been a lucky boy. I managed to ride a friend’s 2004 Triumph Rocket III, and when I asked Triump

Royal Enfield has launched a new family of roadsters – the all-new Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450. The Guerrilla 450 is powered by the new and advanced 452cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled Sherpa engine which debuted in the Himalayan 450 adventure tourer